Harvester reel



Dec. 27, 1949 A. w. OEHLER El AL HARVESTER REEL Original Filed June 22, 1944 lGb 2 Sheets-Sheet l TL HHHHH INVENTORS W. OEHLER 8 ALVIl J. JHNSON Dec. 27, 1949 A. w. OEHLER ET AL HARVESTER REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 22, 1944 Kit) Egll 3 H v A INVENTORS ALVIN W. OEHLER 8 i C J. JOHNSON ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 27, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,492,881 HARviisTER REEL Alvin w. oemer and Eric J. Johnson, Melin 111;, as'signors to Deere & Company, Moline, Ill"., a corporation of Illinois Original application June 22, 1944, Serial No. 541,573. Divided and this application January 19, i946, Serial No. 642,346

6 Claims. (01. 56-221) The present invention relatesgene'rally to bar"- vester reels and more particularly to reels hav= ing crop engaging members which maintain a predetermined angular relation to the ground as they move into engagement with the crops, some times called feathering" reels. The principal object of the invention relates to the provision of a novel and improved means for mounting the fingers on the reel bats, and that is simpler and cheaper to manufacture without sacrifice in durability. A related object has to do with the provision of a novel mounting clip for mounting spring fingers on wood bats and supporting the fingers in such a manner as to restrict excessive vibration of the latter; This application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 541,573, filed June 22, 1944, now Patent Number 2,406,706.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following de= scription' in which reference is had to the draw ings appended hereto, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a harvester plat-. form and reel, a portion of the latter being broken away to show details of construction;

Figure 2 is a plan view, also broken away in parts;

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the end portions of one of the reel bats showing the mounting means and extra fingers, the middle of the bat being broken away;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view taken along a line i -4 in Figure 3-;

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevation showing one of the finger mounting devices, taken along a line 55 in Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional elevational view taken along a line 6 6 in Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the harvester reel is indicated in its entirety by reference nu meral l and includes generally a main sup porting axle or shaft H, on which is rigidly mounted a pair of laterally spaced spiders l2; l3 carrying a plurality of bat supporting shafts M, on each of which is mounted a wooden bat l and a row of crop engageable' fingers l6 fixed to the edge of each hat; The axle H is journaled in a pair of bearings l1, l8, mounted on a pair of fore and aft extending supporting arms I9,

which are secured at their rear ends by bolts 20- to the top members 2| of the side walls 22 of a harvester platform; indicated by reference nu'-- rneral 213; The forward ends of the supporting arms [9 are carried on legs 24 secured by bolts 25 to the platform. A cutter bar 26 extends transversely across the platform 23 beneath the reel l0 and 's'ev'ers the crops from the field while the reel In rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 to lay the harvested crops rearwardly upon the platform conveyor 21 in well-known manner. The reel axle II is driven by a sprocket 28 over which a drive chain 29 is trained to transmit power from any suitable source (not shown). The sprocket 28 is jou r-- naled on the axle H and is connected therewith through a slip clutch 3B of conventional design: Each of the spiders l2, l3 comprises a plurality of spokes 35, fixedly secured to the aXle H by suitable mounting plates 36 and extending gen rally radially therefrom. The bat supporting shafts I l are each Journale'd at opposite ends, respectively, in a pair- 'of bearings 31 mounted on corresponding 'spo'ke's 35 of the spiders l2, l3; Each shaft [4 carries a bat [5, which is rigidly fixed along one edge to the shaft by securing straps 3s. 7

A row of crop engage'able spring fingers I6 is secured to the op csiteedge 39 of each bat. Each finger [6 comprises a helical coil 40 formed of two turns of spring wire, a tine 4| extending tangentially from one end of the coil 40, and a supporting shank 42* extending in the opposite direction from the other end of the coil 40; The end 43 of the shank 42' is bent at right angles to the shank and is received within a hole in the bat I5. The shank 42 extends over the edge 39 of the hat and lies against the side of the bat with the coil 40 disposed adjacent the edge 39 of the bat and the tine 4] extending outwardly therefrom; an of the tines in the row lying in transverse alignment.-

A securing" clip 45 lies over each supporting shank 42 and comprises a small plate, preferably formed- Of Sheet metal with the center portion; pressed or otherwise deformed to form a groove 46 on the inner side of the plate to receive the shank 42, the urrounding beingflat against the bat; The lower edge of the plate 45 is turned under the edge 39 Of the bat to form a flange 51, which is slotted to straddle the shank- 42. A reenforcing strip 48, also preferably of sheet metal, lies along the lower surface of the flange 45 andis rigidly fixed thereto, as by easing, 'Thereenforc'ing strip 48* passes under the shank 42 and serves as a sup port or brace for the latter.

The clip" 45 is perforated at 49 to receive a fastening bolt 59, which is inserted.- through an aligned aperture 5| in the bat I5 offset from the portions of the plate hole 44, and the bolt is secured by a nut 52, threaded on the end of the bolt on the opposite side of the bat I5, over a washer 53.

As the reel rotates in a clockwise direction during operation, as' viewed in Figure 1, the forces affecting the fingers due to engagement with crop material tend to force the shank 42 against the reenforcing strip 48 and against the surface of the groove 48. Thus, the strip 48 provides a durable fulcrum for the finger. Without the strip 48 the shank would press or wear a notch in the edge of the bat. The groove also prevents lateral displacement of the finger, while the turned end 43 prevents the finger from shifting longitudinally of the groove. The entire finger and clip assembly can easily be removed by removing one bolt 50.

Each shaft I4 comprises ahollow tube, one end of which is open beyond the spider bearing 31. Due to variations in the widths of harvester platforms and to the inaccuracies in mounting the supporting arms-I9, 20, there is sometimes an appreciable space between the end of the reel and the platform wall 22 in which the crops are not subject to positive action by the reel. This condition is remedied by providing an extra finger IGa outwardly of the spider I3, for the purpose of positively engaging and moving any crops in this space. The finger I5a is rigidly fixed to one arm 58 of an L-shaped member 59, preferably by welding the shank 42a. thereto. The other arm 58 of the member 59 extends axially in telescoping relation to the shaft I4 and serves as an extension of the latter beyond the spider I3. The member can be adjusted axially of the shaft I4 to obtainthe desired clearance between the the finger Mia and the side wall 22 of the platform by shifting the arm 60 in or out of the end 55 of the shaft I4, and can also be rotated to swing the finger I8a into any desired angular relation with the row of fingers I6 on the bat I5. Preferably, the finger IE1; is adjusted to a position in transverse alignment with the others in the row. The finger I 611 is fixed to the shaft I4 in laterally and angularly adjusted position by tightening a pairof set screws 6|, which are mounted in suitable threaded apertures in the shaft I4. Thus, thearms 58 lie in the planes of the associated bats I5and swing therewith relative to the spider I3.

The outer ends of the spokes 35 in the spider I3 are interconnected by an annular shield 55, preferably formed of sheet metal with an inwardly turned stiffening flange 66. The shield braces the arms 35 and prevents crops from catching on the ends thereof.

On the opposite end of each shaft I4 is fixed an actuating arm I0 outwardly of the spider I2, and disposed at an angle to the plane of the bat l5. A control spider II is disposed laterally outwardly of the spider I2 and comprises a plurality of spokes I2, the outer ends of which carry journal sleeves 13, which embrace bearings I4 rigidly fixed by bolts I5 to the outer ends of the arms I8, respectively. The spokes I2 are interconnected at their outer ends by an annular shield I5 and the inner ends are interconnected by an annular member 11. The inner ends of the spokes I2 bear on the outer surface of a camming cylinder I8, which is mounted on a hub I9 journaled on the reel axle Ii. The hub I9 is fixed eccentrically of the camming cylinder I8 and is braced by spokes 88. The cylinder I8 is normally held stationary by a brace rod 8I, bolted at 82 to the cylinder I8 and extending rearwardly through an apertured bracket 83 fixed to the supporting arm I9. The rod BI is threaded to receive a pair of adjusting nuts 84 on opposite sides of the bracket 83 to adjust the rod fore and aft to swing the cylinder I8 about its eccentric axis, thereby shifting the axis of the control spider II relative to the axis of the axle II. This causes the arms IE! to shift angular-1y relative to the spider I2, thereby rocking the shafts I4 and bats I5 to adjust the fingers I8 to various angles of approach to the harvested crops, as is well-known to those skilled in the art.

Heretofore, the crops in the space occupied by the spiders I2 and II, between the end fingers I8 on the bats and the side wall 22 of the platform 23 have received no positive action by the reel. According to the present invention, however, this portion of the crop is acted upon by a plurality of extra fingers I6b disposed between the control spider II and the adjacent side wall 22. Each finger shank 42b is welded to one end 85 of an arm 88 which has a supporting end 8! fixed to the end of the bearing I4 and extending axially outwardly therefrom. The arm 85 is bent to form a radially extending portion 88 lying substantially in the plane of the control arm I8, and the end 85 is carried at the outer end of the portion 88 and lies substantially in the plane of the associated bat I5. Thus, since the arm 86 is rigid with the bearing I4, arm I0, shaft I4, and bat I5, the finger I5b is carried in transverse alignment with the row of fingers IS on the bat and swings angularly therewith. Inasmuch as the arms 88 are solely supported on the ends of the bearings 14-, there is, of course, no interference between the fingers I6?) and the feathering mechanism during operation.

We claim:

1. In harvesting apparatus, the combination of a reel bat having a hole therein, a crop engageable finger lying across one edge of said bat and having one end turned into said hole, a securing clip comprising a'plate lying over said finger and including a flange portion slotted to receive said finger and turned under the edge of said bat, a member fixed to said flange portion and extending across the slot under said finger to support the latter, and means securing said clip to said bat.

2. In harvesting apparatus, the combination of a reel bat having a hole therein, a crop engageable finger lying across one edge of said bat and having one end turned into said hole, a securing clip comprising a plate lying over said finger and including a flange portion turned under the edge of said bat and a central portion defining a groove in the inner surface of the plate to receive said finger to prevent lateral displacement thereof, said flange portion being slotted to receive the finger, a member fixed to said flange portion and extending across the slot under said finger to support the latter, and means for securing said clip to said bat.

' 3. In harvesting apparatus, the combination of a reel bat having a hole therein, a crop engageable finger lying across one edge of said bat and having one end turned into said hole, a securing clip comprising a plate lying over said finger and including a flange portion turned under the edge of said bat and a central portion defining a groove in the inner surface of the plate to receive said finger to prevent lateral displacement thereof, said flange portion being slotted to receive the finger, a member fixed to said flange portion and extending across the slot under said finger to support the latter, said bat and said plate having aligned apertures spaced from said hole, and a fastening member extending through said aligned apertures.

4. In harvesting apparatus, the combination of a real bat, a crop engageable finger lying across one edge of said bat and a securing clip comprising a plate lying over said finger and including a flange portion turned under the edge of said bat and a central portion defining a groove in the inner surface of the plate to receive said finger to prevent lateral displacement thereof, said flange portion being slotted to receive the finger, a member fixed to said flange portion and extending across the slot under said finger to support the latter, means for connecting said finger to the clip against movement in at least one direction longitudinally of said groove, and means for securing said clip to said bat.

5. In harvesting apparatus, the combination of a real bat, a crop engageable finger lying across one edge of said bat and a securing clip comprising a plate lying over said finger and including a flange portion turned under the edge of said bat and a central portion defining a groove in the inner surface of the plate to receive said finger to prevent lateral displacement thereof, said flange portion being slotted to receive the finger, a member fixed to said flange portion and extending across the slot under said finger to support the latter, means for connecting said finger to the clip against movement in at least one direction longitudinally of said groove, said bat and said plate having aligned apertures spaced from said hole, and a fastening member extending through said aligned apertures.

6. In harvesting apparatus having a reel bat and a crop-engaging finger including one end proximate to the bat and a remote end extending across one edge of and away from the bat: a securing clip for carrying the finger on the bat comprising a plate-like element having an inner surface provided to rest against the bat and overlie the finger and being formed with a groove to receive the finger, said groove being open at one end so that the remote end of the finger may extend away from the bat and clip and having means fixed across its other end portion to provide an abutment engageable by the bat end of the finger to preclude shifting of the finger lengthwise of the groove in the direction toward the bat, means on the clip including a flange portion bent at an angle to the inner surface of the clip to engage under the edge of the bat, and means on said flange portion providing an aperture aligned with the open end of the groove and through which the finger extends.

ALVIN W. OEHLER. ERIC J. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis Jan. 9, 1923 

